Coda
by Arabesque
Summary: After Fern returns, the old gang is all back to normal... or would be if the two youngest members weren't affected by their hormones so much!
1. Chapter 1

Newb author here! constructive criticism would be lovely.

There aren't enough MxM fanfictions out there! Aaaannd enjoy! (hopefully) :)

Magical x Miracle and characters belong to Yuzu Mizutani. 3

* * *

Slumped in a chair, Merleawe sighed tiredly. The events following her accepting the Master Wizard position were somewhat a blur to her.

However, she was overjoyed that she could be with all her friends again back in the castle, even if it still felt surreal.

After all the arrangements were made,

Fern was finally returning from his hometown.

Mel couldn't wait to see him; there was no one else she would even consider to be her body double. With him back, it would be like old times, with her and the entire gang together again.

Master Wizard, the word held so much responsibility that Mel hoped that she would be able to live up to it.

Especially now that she was the real deal, not just some imposter or substitute.

Bright and early, Mel woke. She had slept fitfully, but somehow felt quite rested. Smiling, she threw open her window, much like she had six years ago when she had just came to Viegald.

The person who peered outside was very different though. Elegant and lady-like, this Mel, while still retaining her personality, had matured greatly.

Brushing her hair back behind her ears, she dressed, taking care to look professional. For once, her dad's love of buying clothes payed off, as she had plenty of clothes to choose from!

Vaith, waiting outside her door, escorted Mel to breakfast, but not before patting her on the head and exclaiming how grown up she looked. Mel blushed, but ignored him. Vaith was just being Vaith.

She _had_ had a little crush on him while she was younger, but it faded away with time.

The past few years had been way too busy for romance, and Mel (sadly) didn't think these next few years would allow for any either.

While walking down to the breakfast hall Vaith said, "Mel, did you know Fern was coming home today!"

"Of course Vaith. I've been looking forward to it" she replied.

Thinking to herself, Mel wondered if Fern had finally grown taller than her. She quite liked it when she towered over him, and wasn't sure if she would be used to an eighteen year old Fern.

He was like a little brother to her.

* * *

This new Fern would _certainly_ take a long time to get used to.

As he dismounted gracefully from his horse, Mel gulped.

The small, snarky Fern had grown into a tall, lithe, and, Mel was taken aback, _handsome_ teenager (although, on a side note, he was still probably snarky).

"Long time no see Mel" he drawled out, walking steadily towards her.

She smiled and hugged him, noting how different his body felt, and then chiding her mind for its weird thoughts.

"Calm down Mel, this is only Fern, your good friend. Not to mention, soon to be body double!" Mentally slapping herself she led him over to the rest of the group.

Vaith, Glenn, and Yue had also come to welcome Fern.

They each greeted him in their own fashion, with Vaith thumping Fern on the back and commenting on how much he had grown, Glenn enveloping him in a gentle hug, and Yue just standing there, looking a bit less stern than usual.

Mel looked at them fondly, dazing off a bit; perhaps she wasn't as well rested as she thought she was, when she heard her name being called.

"Mel! Mel!" Vaith said, looking at her worriedly, "did you hear me?"

"Yes?"

"Heheh… Mel, were you being weird again?" Fern interjected. Glaring at him, Mel looked at Vaith and asked him to repeat himself please.

"Isn't it nice how our mini Hahze friend has grown!" Vaith exclaimed. "Before, he was a little shrimp! Are you going to be nervous sharing the suite with him?" He chuckled lecherously and elbowed Fern in the side. "Don't make any moves on our Mel, Fern!"

The two blushed furiously and shot looks of hatred at Vaith.

"Now now Vaith," Glenn said. "Fern has only just got back from his long trip.

Why don't we let him and Mel spend some time together and build up their master-shadow bond?"

Tugging Vaith and Yue, who was taking in the scene with a calculated gaze, away to do something productive, Glenn waved the two younger people away with a wink.

Together, they walked, each as if they knew exactly where the other was going.

Alone with him at last, Mel felt kind of self conscious and awkward. What was she supposed to say to him!

Stopping at her favorite garden on the palace grounds, Mel glanced at Fern out of the corner of her eye.

She noticed he was also looking at her out of his.

They both started cracking up, loosening the tension.

"So Mel, told you I would get taller!"

"Fern! That's the first, er, well third thing you say to me after we haven't seen each other for so long!" Mel said indignantly. Smirking down at her, Fern replied,

"Wow, you've been keeping track? Well, what did you want me to say?"

Blushing, Mel looked away, embarrassed, when she heard him say:

"But seriously Mel, I've missed you."

She smiled inwardly, strangely overjoyed to hear these words, when suddenly, he began to get on one knee.


	2. Chapter 2

Enjoy! :)  
MxM belongs to Yuzu Mizutani (of course, or it would have ended _this_ way XD)

* * *

"Oh goodness," Mel thought to herself. Was he going to do what she thought he was! They were only friends, FRIENDS! Right? She had to act quick to protect his feelings!

"I-I'm sorry!" she said, bowing down, and suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

Fern, on one knee, looked up at her quizzically.

"What Mel? You haven't done anything wrong. I was just going to ask you, formally, if you would accept me as your body double."

"Ohhhhhhhh." Mel thought to herself, embarrassed.

"Well, did you have to get on one knee!"

Fern's confusion cleared as he understood what she thought he was doing.

Smirking at her, he grinned,"Pfft. Mel, did you honestly think I was going to do _that_! You weirdo. I was just following Hahze tradition, although I should have expected that _you_ wouldn't understand.

We do it to pledge to our new masters and get permission to cast the spell of binding."

Clearing his throat, he whispered, "Do you, as the New Master Wizard, Merleawe, agree to take me, Fern, as your body double, for better or worse, through good times and bad, till death do us apart?"

"O-of course Fern. I would be honored," she stammered, a bit nervous as to what the secretive "spell of binding" would entail. Also, this pledge was sounding awfully familiar. Where had she heard it before?

"Good."

Standing up, Fern began to mutter a spell in a language she couldn't decipher.

Placing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders. Flustered by his sudden closeness, Mel assumed that he was casting the shadow spell that would bind them together.

Warmth enveloped her as her eyelids slowly fluttered shut. She felt safe and protected by this decidedly Fern-like aura that was surrounding the both of them.

After chanting for awhile, Fern said "Mel, repeat these words after me"

She repeated the strange sounding words the best she could, thinking that there was no way she could ever pronounce these Hahze words right.

Suddenly, another aura swirled up around them. This one, she thought, strongly resembled her, reminding her nostalgically of her hometown, her family, and all her friends.

Her eyes still closed, she could experience a merging of these two qualities, until they, while not exactly one, were closely tied together.

Fern finished the spell and stepped back. Merleawe, opening her eyes, was saddened by the lack of his warmth.

Exhausted, Fern sat down on the grass, and exclaimed "There! Now try it!"

"Try what"

"No one told you what the link does?"

"Uhh… no?" Glenn, Yue, and Vaith hadn't mentioned anything about the effects that came with having a bond with a Hahze. Apparently it was supposed to be top secret.

Grumbling, Fern stood up again.  
"Close your eyes Mel and try to tell me something with your mind."

Mel thought this was a bit odd, but tried to send him a message, thinking to herself that it probably wasn't going to work.

"Of course it's going to work!" Fern said emphatically. "The bond allows you to send me mental messages. It only works when you want it to though, and it doesn't work the other way around.

Although, Mel, _you'll_ probably need a lot of practice before you can control it perfectly," he said sarcastically.

Merleawe was shocked. What if she accidentally sent Fern all of her thoughts?

"Heheh, that's why you'll need practice!" His eyes flashed emerald as they sun shone on them while he laughed at her under the setting sun.

Mel stared; Fern needed to laugh more.

It made his face look so much nicer and even better looking. Covering her mouth, she glanced at him to see if he caught that thought, but if he did, his face showed no reaction.

Much to her dismay, she was going to have to watch very carefully what she thought from now on.

Erecting mental barriers, Mel told Fern "We'd best go to dinner now."  
Fern glared at her, "From now on, only communicate with me mentally. You need all the practice you can get."

Mel sighed, and replied okay in her head. She looked up to see if he caught it, and was rewarded with him nodding in approval.

* * *

At the dinner table, Mel sat with the king, Princess Seraphia, their body doubles, Yue, Glenn, and Fern, with Vaith standing guard.

They chatted about mundane things until it was dark. Bidding each other good night, they each walked to their respective rooms.

It wasn't until Merleawe got to her suite's door that she thought of Fern and how they would sleep.

The luxurious room appointed to master wizards had an adjoining bathroom separated by doors that locked.

If one person needed to use it, they would have to lock both doors.

Designed to fit two people, since the Master Wizard always had a body double, they would share the suite, with only the bathroom dividing them.

Usually, body doubles would be the same gender as their master, but Mel had specially requested Fern. She hadn't thought of the consequences of sharing rooms with a teenage boy though.

Noticing her silence, Fern asked "Well are you going to go in?"

Jumping, Mel nodded rapidly and inserted the key to their, it had such a weird tone to it, room. There were two doors leading to the suite, but Fern had chosen to follow Mel to hers, increasing her nervousness.

She hadn't thought much about it when they were younger. Fern was only 12, like a pesky younger brother. But now…

Awkwardly, she stood there as he silently departed to his side.

"Uhh… Goodnight Fern. I'm sure you're tired from all the traveling"

"Goodnight."

Using the bathroom first, Merleawe made sure to lock both sides of the doors.

She didn't want Fern peeking or anything. Immediately after thinking this, she heard an indignant "Pfft," on the other side of the door.

"As if Merleawe!" he shouted.

Blushing, she hurriedly used the shower, brushed her teeth, and got in bed. A few minutes later, she heard him wash up too.


	3. Chapter 3

I bringeth you Chapter THREE~

Please review! *makes me happy and productive!*

* * *

In the peace of his own room, Fern finally had time to think.

Returning from his hometown, the teenage Hahze had been nervous about meeting his soon to be master.

Fern had slowly developed a crush on Merleawe. Their odd friendship had evolved to something else, at least for Fern.

To tell the truth, she was the person he missed most, that is, besides Sylthfarn.

Even now, the death of his first master haunted him at night, causing him to have nightmares of not dying with his master. Dammit, he was supposed to have died!  
It was the body double's duty to die together with their master, to make sure they would be loyal to the end.

But somehow, Sylthfarn had unsealed the bond between them, without even Fern knowing.

He had waited so long for some kind of message from Sylth, anything to tell him that his master was still alive and well on earth…

Pushing the bad memories away, Fern shook his head and focused on the present.

Focus on protecting Merleawe and never losing another person precious to him.

Her happiness, optimism, and smiles made up for what he lacked.

He loved her.

Sadly, he didn't think the feeling was reciprocated.

Until this afternoon.

He had heard a glimpse of her thoughts right after finishing the binding spell; something about him being even _better_ looking while smiling.

She thought he was good looking!  
Just the thought made Fern break into a rare grin.

He _had_ grown a lot through the years finishing up his studies. All that physical training must have paid off!

He heard her finish washing up, trying not to think of her naked body in the shower.

He blamed it on his hormones.  
Waiting a few more minutes, he entered the bathroom. It was filled with her scent.

His sensitive Hahze nose picked up lavender, something powdery, and something that belonged entirely to Mel, filled with her sweetness.

Quickly, he washed, getting rid of sweat and grime that came naturally with travel, while breathing in her smell, and then feeling kind of perverted for doing so.

Fern stayed awake until he heard Mel's light click off. Even then, he waited some more until he was sure she was asleep.

Unbidden, a thought entered his mind "Sleep well Fern." He could almost hear the smile in her voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to the lovely reviewers! 3

* * *

Waking up, Fern remembered some of his vivid dreams

All of them about Merleawe.

And not at all work safe.

Rubbing his face tiredly, he decided to jump into the shower again.

He needed to wash up and cleanse his brain of these impure thoughts, perhaps even take matters into his own hands…

* * *

Yawning, Mel rubbed her eyes. Sleepily making her way to the bathroom, she opened the door and ran into something hard, muscular, and somewhat damp.

Stunned, Mel opened her eyes to meet the smiling ones of Fern. Looking down, she saw that he was fresh out of the shower and wearing only a _towel_!

Flustered, she slowly backed out, attempting to exit, when she saw him smirk.

"What's the matter Mel? Like what you see?"

His arms shot out, trapping her against the tile of the bathroom.

"Scared?" he murmured with a teasing tone, looking deep into her eyes.

Refusing to answer, and making sure to keep her mind under control, she blushed fiercely, ducked under his arm and slammed the door on him.

"Fern! I told you to LOCK the doors when you're using the bathroom!"  
Her only reply was some (evil) snickering.

* * *

Secretly, Fern was extremely glad that she hadn't woken up a few minutes earlier.

Things might have gotten more than just a little awkward.

Thank goodness Mel couldn't read _his_ mind.

He had no idea why he had suddenly, well, _harassed_, her, but boy did it feel good!

He wanted to capture her lips and do things to her.

Things certainly not appropriate for a servant to do to his master. But she was so cute all bleary eyed and sleepy!

Getting himself under control, Fern prepared himself for the day that was sure to be agonizingly long.

* * *

Trekking down to the dining hall together, they breakfasted and got ready for Mel's opening speech to Viegald.

Fern could catch some of her thoughts, most of them nervous ones about how the people would receive her.

Mel was renowned for being the Silver Haired Saint, but she was still young (though Sylth had been younger) and not as skilled in magic as some other Master Wizards had been.

Fern, in the only way he could, tried to reassure Merleawe.

"Pfft. Mel, are you being stupid again? You're broadcasting like crazy! Ever heard of mind barriers?"

Mel glared at him, and soon they were bickering as usual.

Inwardly, Fern smiled. He had cheered up his master, even if it meant he was getting smacked on the chest repeatedly.

Of course, Merleawe was excellent in delivering her speech.

It was most people's first time seeing their new master wizard, and they didn't look disappointed.

He heard some people murmur about her striking resemblance to Sylth and many more on how beautiful she was.

Fern had to agree.

His master looked radiant under the morning sun, the beams of light glinting off her lustrous hair and sparkling eyes.

Capturing the attention of the citizens of Viegald everywhere, Mel held the viewers in rapt as she described her goals and hopes for the future of the country.

Afterward, Mel greeted citizens and talked to people individually.

Fern was nervous, with so many people present, who knew what could happen to Mel!

The little idiot was capable of a lot he had to admit, but she was, in his eyes, very vulnerable and delicate.

He had to be extra diligent.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the long-time-no-update!  
*air kisses to the reviewers!*

* * *

Moving away from the crowds, they started heading back to the castle for a break.

Mel loved meeting her (her!) citizens. They were all so kind and friendly! But, she _was_ getting a bit tired, not getting much sleep last night worrying over her speech.

To tell the truth, she was also getting kind of annoyed.

Fern was shadowing her like a guard dog, not leaving an iota of space for her to move around in. Sure he was her shadow, but that didn't mean literally _be her SHADOW!_

It didn't help that he was being all weird today.

That incident in the bathroom… It wasn't her fault he hadn't locked that door!

Refusing to think about his naked, dripping, chest, Mel tried to keep her mind out of the gutter (and of course, keep those mind barriers up).

Hopefully, something like that wouldn't happen again. It would be so embarrassing if he walked in on _her_ after she took a shower!

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts, that she didn't realize there was pole in front of her until it was too late.

How embarrassing! She glanced out of the side of her eyes to see if Fern had noticed (how could he have not!) and was met by his cackles of glee.

To make things worse, when trying to walk away with dignity, Mel tripped over her own feet and felt herself falling.

Bracing for the pain, she fell, instead, into Fern's capable arms.

"Heh, been putting on the pounds, eh Merleawe?" He teased.  
Ignoring his ungracious comment, Merleawe brushed herself off, and stomped away.

She most certainly had _not_ been putting on the pounds!

In fact, she was watching what she ate more than ever now that Fern was around.

Today just wasn't her day.

In her haste to escape Fern, Mel didn't notice the hooded figure that had been following them.

* * *

Fern, though, had, (of course) and hurried to catch up with Merleawe. There was no telling what the stalker wanted.

Analyzing his movements, Fern sensed an aura of violence radiating out of their follower.

Many people did not support the Master Wizard system, claiming it gave too much power to a single individual

who could be potentially dangerous to the kingdom, as they wielded a great amount of political, not to mention magical, strength. Not that Mel was exactly blessed in that department...

It made sense that someone was out to target the new Master Wizard, but Fern wasn't going to let anyone hurt Merleawe while he was still breathing!

Catching Vaith's eyes, the two men exchanged glances, and Fern could tell that Vaith knew what was happening too.

Whispering into Merleawe's ear, he said,

"We're being followed, but act normal. From now on, if you want to say something, do it the secret way."

Feeling Mel's fear, he stepped even closer to her, shielding her with his body as they walked quickly into the palace area.

Casting a protective spell, Fern felt a bit more reassured.

As they made it into the gates, he felt the presence disappear—perhaps the Black Nights had taken care of him—and finally relaxed a bit.


	6. Chapter 6

Magical X Miracle and Characters belong to Yuzu Mizutani!  
~Enjoy!

* * *

Okay, Mel had to admit, she was glad that Fern was being so guard-doglike now. But why would anyone try to target her!

It really freaked her out that someone would be so cruel as to do something to her on her inauguration day!

Fern's body warmth disappeared as he backed off, once again restoring the proper distance a shadow should keep from his master.

Sighing, Merleawe hoped the rest of the week would pass peacefully. She had to make trips across Viegald's country side to greet and meet the rest of her people.

Luckily, there were no more bathroom incidents with Fern again.

Each remembered to dutifully lock his/her doors before using the facilities, although, secretly, Mel was sad that she wouldn't get to see more of Fern's body…

Packing their bags, Fern and Mel prepared for their country trip.

Sure, they could have just teleported with magic, but it used too much energy and was very unreliable.

More Black Nights would accompany them than usual, due to the threatening man they encountered.

Mel loved riding through Viegald's woods. She was tempted to just ride off on her horse and ditch the guards, but knew in her heart that Master Wizards weren't supposed to behave that way.

Dazing off a bit, she relaxed under the boughs of the trees, her pale horse trotting along the well beaten, slender path.

Fern, as usual, was behind her, also on horseback, although his was pitch black, with a white blaze running down its forehead.

Out of nowhere, her horse began to act crazy. Perhaps a bee or something had gotten under the seat? Trying her best to subdue the poor creature, Mel was shocked when the horse began to gallop, attacked by some invisible annoyance.

She hung on with all her might, calling out "Help!"

The Black Nights tried their best to catch up to Mel's horse, but they were clumped together, trapped by the width of the road, and couldn't follow quickly enough.

Fern, however could. He followed Mel's horse as it sprinted off the path.

Mel's horse was usually a calm, reliable animal. He bet that this was the work of whoever was targeting Mel earlier!

As he coaxed his horse to put on an extra burst of speed, he made it near enough just to see her get thrown off the horse. His heart stopped for a moment, as he watched her tumble and roll on the ground several times…

Mel was aware that she, embarrassingly enough, just got thrown off one of the most easy to ride horses there was.

She knew that Fern was right behind her though. Too tired and hurt to stand up, she remained curled in a ball, frustrated at what had just happened.

"Mel? Are you okay?" he called out, his voice lacking the composure it usually had.

"I think so." She replied, although, she thought that she had probably done something to her ankle, and perhaps her ribs.

Wincing, she sat up and tried to calculate the damages.

They had somehow gotten very far away from the Black Nights and were in a place she was unfamiliar with.

Fern, noticing her confusion, said "Yeah, these horses can run pretty fast. The Nights will catch up eventually though."

He reached out a hand to help her up, and flinched as he felt her pain through the bond.

"Ow ow oww…." Mel thought. Yes, she definitely had done something to her ankle…

Looking a bit embarrassed, Fern bent down and picked her up bridal style.

"I can walk!" she retorted angrily, "Put me down!"

"Pfft.. Do you think I like carrying you around! You obviously can't walk on that leg, and with my excellent Hahze senses, I'm also picking up some bruised ribs." He replied.

Doggedly, he refused to put her down, and deep down, Mel was glad. Resting her head against his chest, she asked "What are we going to do? The villagers expect to see me today!"

Fern stared at her, until she remembered. Duh! Magic!  
Creating two birds, Merleawe told one to find the Black Nights and tell them where the pair was. The other she sent to the closest village, saying that there was a delay, so the group might not get there until later.

Tired, she promptly fell asleep while in Fern's arms, leaving him staring down at her incredulously.

"Wow, she can really fall asleep anywhere," Fern thought to himself. He then proceeded to find shelter, as his excellent Hahze senses (They really were very awesome.) warned him that there would be rain.


	7. Chapter 7

Heheh.. Sorry long time no update!  
Please review! Thank you.

Things are going to get steamy! (Not really... *points to rating*)

Magical X Miracle and characters belong to Yuzu Mizutani.

* * *

Waking up, Mel was surprised to find that she was in a cozy cave with a blanket around her. Fern had also gotten a fire running.

She thought it was weird, as it was raining quite hard, though earlier, there wasn't a cloud in the sky!

"The birds returned," Fern said, noticing that she was awake.

"The Black Nights are glad to hear you're safe and apologize that they couldn't catch up to you. They're investigating what caused your horse to go crazy and will rejoin us tomorrow."

So she was going to be alone with Fern in this cave until the next day!

Catching some of her thoughts, Fern smirked, "Don't worry Mel, I'm not going to do anything to you!"

Leering, "Unless you want me to that is."

Mel sat up, wincing at the pain. It was centered along her ribs and her left ankle.

She wasn't that good at healing spells, although, she bet that Fern was!  
Asking mentally if he knew any healing spells, she was happy when she saw his face light up.

"Healing spells are taxing Mel, but I have a 'spell' that'll help."

* * *

Spells of healing were _hard_.

They required a person to spend a lot of his/her own energy and Fern couldn't risk being tired while on the watch.

Especially since there was no one else present to protect Merleawe than him,

although, he chuckled to himself, she might need protection from _him_ too.

* * *

Mel watched as Fern moved closer to her. He picked up her foot in one of his hands.

She started as she saw him bring down his mouth to her leg. She didn't recall any healing spells that required mouths!

His tongue darted out as he gently began to lick her ankle.

In shock, she mentally buzzed him, "Fern what are you doing!"

Not looking up, he replied, "We have healing properties in our saliva."

In the past, people would bottle Hahze spit and sell it for high prices on the market.

Gross, but very effective.

Nodding, Mel leaned back, enjoying the feeling (although it was kind of odd, not to mention semi-erotic).

Apparently the Hahze people had more secrets than she thought.

"Sooo… If Sylthfarn sprained his ankle, you would do this to him too?" She asked him teasingly

This got his attention. "Sylthfarn wasn't clumsy enough to ever injure himself..."

His voice trailed off as they both remembered how Sylthfarn met his end.

Trying to lighten the now heavy mood, Mel laughed nervously,

"Heheh, yeah, I'm pretty clumsy alright!"

She really hoped her feet didn't smell.

* * *

Fern was, dare he say it, flustered.

Merleawe's skin smelled wonderful.

It was soft and flawless and fragrant and creamy and, and…

He needed to control himself!

She seemed to be enjoying his ministrations though, and, accessing the bond, he could tell that her ankle wasn't in pain anymore.

Satisfied, Fern place it back on the blanket and sat back.

* * *

It really did feel much better. Though, Mel was afraid now.

Was he going to do the same thing to her ribs!  
That would be more than just a bit embarrassing.

"Only if you want me to," he repeated, replying to her thoughts.

Mel decided to let him. She did NOT want to ride a horse with bruised ribs.

Gingerly lifting up her riding habit top, Mel exposed her stomach to him.

All the way to just below her wrappings.

Snorting while blushing, Fern said, "You're gonna have to lie down. I can't do it at this kind of angle."

Awkwardly, she lay down on the blanket, feeling exposed.

At the first touch of his tongue on her torso, she shivered.

He knelt between her legs with his arms braced on either side of her body.

This was starting to look like something else…

Watching him through hooded eyes, Mel was strangely at ease.

She trusted Fern completely, and to be honest, it felt good.

The pain alleviated with each stroke of his tongue.

* * *

Merleawe shouldn't put so much faith in him, Fern thought to himself.

He was licking her for goodness sake. Shouldn't she feel something other than relaxation!

He contemplated licking higher up, or even lower down, playing out his fantasies.

But he also didn't want to scare his master.

Just after this thought, he heard her moan. Flicking his eyes up to her face, he saw that she was now tomato red.

Smirking, Fern brushed his tongue over the same sensitive spot and was rewarded with another moan.

This could be interesting.

* * *

Mortified, Mel could not control herself.

Fern had brushed nerves on her sensitive stomach, sparking an odd feeling in her stomach.

His eyes smoldered as they peered into hers.

Emboldened, Merleawe reached forward and pulled Fern closer.

"Thank you Fern. It feels much better now," she whispered into his ear.

"I am glad," he replied, his gaze traveling down to her mouth.

Closing her eyes, Mel felt his lips gently press onto hers.

They were soft, and felt different than how she would have imagined: better.

Telling her brain to shut up, Mel lifted her arms to place them around his neck.

She sensed that he was holding back, perhaps in fear of injuring her.

Wrapping her hands around the ends, she pulled him in to deepen the kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

I've always wanted to write something like this!

Sorry for the long time no update.. *really busy with tests DX* A big thanks to **Cha-Cha-Cheesecake, M-x-M, Bry**, and **fanfic lover** for your reviews.

* * *

Mel woke up the next day feeling sore. Honestly, she hadn't expected that she would end up doing _that_ with Fern, yet another secret talent she didn't know he had.

She felt that their relationship had been taken to another level…

Proud of herself, she noticed that (for once) she had woken up before he had. Last night must have really tired him out, although, it had'nt seem _that _hard to her.

Fern's hands were very deft and strong, she giggled, thinking about what they had done together.

Fern, sleepily, sat up beside her.

"Did you like it?" He asked, smirking as usual.

Mel blushed, "Y-yes. Could we do it again?"  
He chuckled, pleased, "Of course."  
Mel turned around, presented Fern with her back, and sighed with pleasure as his able hands smoothed out the knots in her back.

Fern was a wonderful masseuse, apparently it was one of the classes Hahze had to take.

After they broke off the kiss yesterday night, Fern had volunteered to give Mel a massage, sensing that her body was still not at 100%.

Mel would have liked to continue kissing, but they didn't want to take things too far, especially since they were in a damp cave!

"We have to do this more often once we get back to the castle." Merleawe sighed out dreamily, moaning a bit as he hit a nerve.

Both their faces flushed, and Merleawe covered her face with her hands. Fern really didn't mind; he liked hearing those sounds.

Of course, that's when Vaith decided to show himself.

With an evil expression on his face, Vaith stuck his head into the cave.  
"Am I disturbing something?" He asked.

Groaning, Merleawe stood up, "Vaaittthhh… He was just giving me a massage!"  
"That's not what it sounded like to me!" He chuckled with a leer.  
The Black Knights were surrounding the cave, finally having caught up to Fern and Merleawe.

Vaith had been summoned from the castle, as the Knights thought that it was best to take extra precautions since there was a weird man on the loose.

As they ate breakfast, Vaith managed to catch Fern alone.

Elbowing the younger man in the side, Vaith asked with a leer, "Sooo, did you get lucky?"

Scowling while looking disgusted, Fern replied, "None of your business," and stomped away.

Looking proud of himself, Vaith nodded, yet again intrigued by "somebody else's problem."

* * *

The rest of their journey proceeded without any major problems, except for the fact that Vaith constantly bothered the Merleawe, asking about her "adventure" with Fern.

Mel and Fern made sure to keep their distance from each other, as to not attract Vaith's unwanted attention, and they both looked forward to their return to the castle, where they would finally be able to spend some time alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Apologies for long time no update (as usual) Lol! I've been thinking about story ideas... Feel free to throw in suggestions in the reviews!

* * *

Back home in the castle, Mel was allowed a few days of break, as the entire group of travelers were exhausted.

Before they could catch their breaths, it was time for the Princess's 15th birthday. A ball was planned both in honor of Seraphia's birthday and for Merleawe's ascension of the Master Wizard role.

Personally, Mel felt that they really did not have to go to all the trouble, but the king had insisted…

Vaith was happy too; he loved parties, where he could meet pretty women.

Yue was secretly pleased that he could have a chance to see Lenolora at the party, and Glenn was happy that he could invite his Francis.

Fern had been hurriedly summoned to his homeland for some briefing and to help another young, troubled Hahze. She had sent him off with a worried frown and with thoughts of "Be careful…"

She was left with a substitute body double the Hahze elder had sent along with the summoning scroll.  
The substitute was pretty, young, and very diligent, if a bit quiet and shy. Although, she didn't have the red hair that most Hahze's had, Merleawe trusted her.

Merleawe sorely missed Fern though, and was sad that they didn't even have a chance to talk each other.

She wondered if he could still hear her thoughts even though they were separated by such a long distance…

She would just have to console herself with the fact that he would make it in time for the ball.

* * *

Fern was perplexed by his summons. Apparently the head elder needed him back at the Hahze village immediately, which was strange, as bonded pairs normally did not get separated unless for a very special reason.

Ducking his head to avoid some branches, Fern kicked his horse gently, urging it to go faster so he could finish whatever the Elder wanted him to, and thus get back to Merleawe sooner.

She had wanted to send guards with him, but he had scoffed, saying that he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and besides, they would just slow him down.

Three days later, he finally arrived to his hometown. Rushing into the Great Tree, he was met by the confused Elder.

"Fern, what are you doing here and not guarding your master?"  
Fern gulped, "You mean you didn't send for me?"  
The Elder immediately became worried, "We need to get you back to your master immediately."

It would take a day to get the spell ready that would transport Fern back to Viegald, but it was better than riding for three days on an exhausted horse.

Impatient, Fern pondered who could have done such a thing. The scroll had appeared authentic and the signature real. He needed to get back immediately!

The Elder patted his back comfortingly, "I'm sure your master will be fine." But he didn't sound very convinced.

* * *

The days before the Princess's birthday were always celebrated with a harvest festival. Merleawe loved to meet her citizens, and, with her substitute body double, was allowed to go out and meet-and-greet.

She spotted Shato, her jewelry-making friend, and waved with a smile. He was one of her greatest supporters, and she always loved buying his highly popular jewelry. He had finally succeeded his father as one of the country's best crafters, and Merleawe was sure that his father and Karita would be proud of him.

Feeling a tug on her dress, Merleawe looked down to see a small, adorable, crying child. Looking forlorn, the little boy asked her to help him find his mother.

"Of course." She answered, taking his little chubby hand. He led her through a thick crowd, where he had last seen his mom. Scratching his head, the little boy pulled Mel down an empty alley.

"Did you see your mom down here?" asked Mel, spinning around to search for her body double, who had disappeared into the mass.

Hearing no answer, Mel turned around, felt something hit her head, and blacked out.

* * *

Gasp! Review please! :D


	10. Chapter 10

Ehehe.. I always forget to do this, but Magical X Miracle and characters belong to Yuzu Mizutani. - Obviously

Uploads back to back! I'm on a roll! Whoo~~

Chapter ten! Didn't know the story would have gotten so far, but I hope you like it! :)

* * *

Bumping her head against the wall, Merleawe was startled awake. Taking in her surroundings, she seemed to be in a moving wagon.

Her arms and legs were bound tightly, her mouth was taped shut, and she noticed that Sylthfarn's protective charm had been taken too. Her head pounded with pain and she dearly hoped that she hadn't had a concussion.

"Fern?" She tentatively reached out with her mind. She could feel his response and was relieved to know that she could at least semi-communicate with him. All she could decipher were his current feelings, and she could feel worry, anger, frustration, and…

love?

Even in such a situation, Merleawe felt her cheeks turn red. She mind-sent Fern the details, and made sure to tell him that she didn't know where in the world she was right now.

The wagon felt like it was traveling pretty rapidly, and Merleawe hoped that they weren't too far from Viegald.

After about twenty minutes, the wagon slowed to a stop. Merleawe quickly pretended that she was still unconscious.

"She's not awake yet." The voice sounded strangely familiar. Furrowing her brow, Merleawe recognized her Hahze substitute's voice.

The fake-Hahze was replied by a man's gravelly voice. "Nah. Can't you tell? She's only faking it."  
The man's voice travelled closer as Merleawe felt herself get pulled out of the wagon. Her cover blown, she opened her eyes and stared into the face of the adult version of the little boy she had helped in the city square.

Her eyes widening in surprise –shape shifting was a hard skill to learn—Mel hurriedly took in her surroundings.

It appeared that she was in the forest surrounding Viegald, about two hours away from the castle; she quickly told Fern and hoped he had picken up on the message.

The man rudely jerked her head back in place. "Look here missy, we don't want to hurt you, but you're going to have to cooperate with us. Now I'm going to remove the tape, but no screaming ok?"  
Mel nodded silently, and winced as he ripped the tape off her mouth. She had to go along with what they wanted and try to buy some time before Fern could arrive.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, trying to get more details about her captors.

The man and the woman glanced at each other, shrugged, and then the man replied,

"We don't want another Master Wizard in Viegald. We citizens have been doing very well for the past few years without, and we think the old tradition should be broken. Starting with you."

Merleawe shivered; she had no idea that the Master Wizard was so disliked by some people.

Everyone she had met seemed to like and welcome her…

Interrupting her thoughts, the man continued.

"We're going to take you to Alloro, where the king has paid a generous ransom to have you kidnapped. He wants to take over Viegald, and the only reason he hasn't is because he thought Viegald was up to something."

Merleawe sighed. This man sure was talkative, although this helped her goal of buying time. The woman (whom she thought had been her friend) just seemed bored and was checking out her nails.

It was true that Viegald had been under its surrounding country's suspicions. Without its Master Wizard figure head, the country was weaker, diplomatically and in power.

The Master Wizard was in charge of leading wars, communicating with other nations, taking part in politics, among other tasks, so they were pretty much crucial to a nation's success. It was amazing that Viegald had survived so long without one, but Mel was sure that it was because of both Yue and (somewhat) Vaith's efforts.

Coming to a sudden conclusion, Merleawe vowed to attempt to escape from her captors.

If her country could survive so long by itself, then surely she could too.  
She didn't need to wait for Fern! She was perfectly capable of helping herself, thankyouverymuch.

Silently harrumphing, the fledgling Master Wizard straightened her back and contemplated her escape.

Lost in her thoughts, Merleawe didn't notice a tickling in the back of her conscience.

A strange tickling that felt like Fern, _desperately _trying to get her attention.


	11. Chapter 11

Graaah... so sorry... *shot*  
Long time no upload again eh?

* * *

He had been trying for hours to get her to pay attention to him dammit!  
He knew that it wasn't likely that she would react, but hoped that she would at least understand that he was _warning_ her.

Along with Vaith and the Black Knights, they had tracked Merleawe down and were hot on her pursuit.

Using magic, Fern had determined that a large mass of soldiers stationed ahead of where Merleawe and her captors were headed.

Alloro had planned ahead well.

The small amount of Black Knights and one Hahze would not be enough to fight off the whole Alloro army. Their only hope was to save Mel before she reached the boundaries of Viegald and the enemy country.

But they were still roughly twenty minutes away from Mel's campsite and needed all the time they could get. He prayed that Merleawe was stalling her captors somehow.

Long enough for him to get there…

* * *

Her leg had fallen asleep. Another problem added to her growing list of worries.

With her hands bound, she couldn't cast any spells, since almost all of them required hand gestures. She was also unable to move without attracting attention to herself.

It seemed hopeless.

Her captors, on the other hand, relaxed under the boughs of the tree, chattering away.

She could hear catches of their conversation.

"We're almost there…stupid young girl…weak…easy job..."

Merleawe bristled with anger. Frustrated, she thonked her head against the tree trunk she was currently leaned against.

"Think Mel!" She told herself, "What would Fern do?

Well, he probably wouldn't have gotten into the mess in the first place.

Levelheaded, cool, and calm, Fern wouldn't have been tricked by a man pretending to be a boy.

And he definitely wouldn't have blacked out after being hit once in the head!

On cue, her head twinged with pain, partly because she just whacked it against a tree.

_Stupid!_ She cursed herself silently.

How she wished he were here right now.

He would have been able to think up an intelligent plan, and although she didn't like to admit it, cheer her up with his snarkiness.

Looking up at the sky that was rapidly darkening, Merleawe sighed.

Her head lolling down in defeat, she saw the grassy ground covered with delicate white flowers that seemed contradictory to her dire situation.

_Flowers._

Her eyes brightening, Merleawe began to formulate a plan.

Calling out to her captors, she said, "Excuse me, may I use the bathroom? I really need to, umm, go."

Trying to make it look like she had to pee badly, she squirmed around, relieving the pins and needles in her legs. Step one, complete.

Her captors looked at each other and the man shrugged and nodded. The girl came over and roughly untied the ropes that bound Mel's legs. Step two, complete.

They walked a bit off into the woods so Mel could have her privacy, although not out of yelling distance of the male. Step three, complete.

Concentrating hard while walking, Merleawe felt the familiar rush of magic fill her body as she prepared for her spell.

Recalling her childhood and the nostalgia that came with it, Mel cast her flower spell.

Magicians rarely did not need to use hand gestures while casting spellsl, but this one was Mel's longtime specialty.

Imagining the flowers spreading all over the campsite, Merleawe felt them being attracted to Sylth's protective charm.

Now it was up to the question of which captor was wearing it?

The fake-Hahze girl started with surprise as the flowers swirled around her and activated the charm. Her body convulsing as vines sprung out of the charm and pierced her skin.

Not staying around to see what else was happening, Mel started to sprint away the best she could with her arms still tied.

She hated hurting people, and was deeply regretful about injuring the girl, but she knew that it was vital for her to get away from these people.  
Running in a random direction (which she hoped lead back to the castle) Mel was surprised to find a smile on her face.

She had did it!

_Fern, I'm free!_

_

* * *

_Receiving her thoughts, Fern smacked his hand to his forehead. What would the idiot get herself into this time? Especially without him around to protect her?_  
_


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry! *shot* Thanks for all your support!

* * *

She felt like spreading her arms and singing. Oh wait, except for the fact that she was alone in a forest, and probably being pursued by some random dude who wanted to sell her off to an enemy country… Hmm. Maybe not singing, but spreading her arms would be nice!

First though, she had to give Fern her location. Looking around, she noticed a tall oak tree that stood above the rest. Mentally sending him a picture of her settings, Merleawe settled down to find something sharp she could saw off the rope with.

She felt his affirmative response in her head, but it was tinged with worry. What was there to worry about? She had escaped the man, took care of the girl (whom she still felt bad for, she would make sure that fake-Hahze received medical care), and was close to being found! Fern was just a worrywart. She could take care of herself.

Now, to find that sharp thingy…

* * *

Running his hands through his hair, Fern barked out orders to Vaith. They had located the giant oak, and were almost there. However, the oak was also precariously close to the enemy camp. He could only pray that Merleawe wouldn't do anything stupid.

God, as Sylth always said, was for weak people, but Fern wasn't feeling so strong as of right now.

* * *

Smiling with delight, Mel felt the ropes fall away from her hands. She had found a sharp rock next to the great oak tree and finally sawed the ropes off.

She found a spot to hide, next to some bushes. Maybe she could surprise Fern when he came? (Although it was unlikely that she could ever sneak up on him).

As she settled down in a shady spot, she felt a hand going around, covering her mouth.  
"No sudden moves, missy," said deep voice say. Straining her head (slowly) to see her captor, she saw that he was wearing the colors of Alloro. He must have been a mage too, seeing the way that he easily snuck up on her. Perhaps he knew an invisibility spell?

_Oh crap. Fern, stay away! _She thought frantically.

Fern gently crept into the glade, signaling Vaith and his men to stay back. It would do no good to scare Merleawe, and they didn't want to cause a commotion. He sensed her hiding in some bushes (what a fail). She thought she could sneak up on him?

Suddenly, he heard her voice in his head, warning him to stay away.

She had been found?

Gritting his teeth, he quickly cast protection spells around himself. Telling they were stupid for rushing in like this, he beckoned for Vaith to advance. No point in going in stealthily, the enemy already knew where Mel was.

Speaking in a low voice that carried across the glade, Fern said, "We do not wish to fight; please release our Master Wizard." Of course, there was no reply.

Cautiously, he made his way closer to the bushes. _Fern, stay there, I'm going to try something, _he heard in his head.

The ground began to quake as giant tree branches sprung out of the ground.

Inside his head, Fern whistled. Mel had obviously improved from when she couldn't even summon a leaf. He was impressed, not that he would ever tell her.

The branches lifted Mel's capturer away from her, and she burst out of the bushes, running towards Fern. She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

A bit surprised, and his face beet red, his arms gingerly encircled her quaking body. Looking up, he saw that the man was struggling among the branches, but that wouldn't last for long…

* * *

Vaith burst out and winked at Mel, heading over to the branches. "Good job there! We'll handle it from now."  
The two relaxed visibly. Mel turned and called out, "Be careful Vaith, he's a magician too, and a powerful one."

Just as she began to turn around to, a bright light, colored a bright red that somehow reminded her of blood, shattered the peaceful glade.

She felt herself being thrown to the ground, heard a choking sound and then, an eerie quiet.

Blinking to rid the white spots that colored her vision, she looked around frantically. What had happened? _Fern!_

She felt no response, not even a tiny one.


	13. Chapter 13

Almost there guys.. thanks for sticking around~ :)

* * *

Feeling sick, she scanned the glade frantically.

She saw the Black Knights, all blinking with confusion. Closer to the branches was Vaith, tossed on his back. Running to him, she saw that he was alive, just unconscious.

Thank goodness.

The magician she had ensnared had disappeared, but the spell he casted had left scorch marks on the branches.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated.

She had noticed that she was able to sense Fern's presence when he was near and when he wasn't cloaking himself.

Ah hah! He was… about 30 feet away from them? How had he gotten so far away? And she could barely feel him at all.

The uneasy feeling within her grew. Motioning for some Black Knights to come with her, she quickly walked over to where she sensed him.

Upon seeing him, she began to run. He was sprawled across the grass unmoving, and was that blood she saw trickling out of his mouth? _No_

The evil magician's spell must have been aimed for her, but her loyal body double had taken the hit. _No_

Collapsing down next to him, she placed her hands on his chest. His breath was shallow and strained. Were his internal organs alright? _No_

Lowering her head down to listen, she heard his lungs rattling, and then…she felt his heart slowly sputter to a stop.

_Nooooooooo!_

Merleawe felt her chest constrict. She couldn't let this happen. She had never met Sylth, never known him except from what she had been told. But he had felt like her friend.

She could not, _would not_, let another one of her friends die. Screwing her eyes shut, she summoned all her magic, feeling it strain against her body, she poured it into Fern's battered body.

_Please… _

* * *

The surrounding Black Knights watched on in amazement. Ethereal violet-pink light surrounded the two glowing bodies, making it almost too hard to see what was happening.

All present on that day would swear that they had seen a faerie, or even a goddess.

The story would go down as legend.

Would become one of the greatest love stories told in Viegald, ever.

* * *

Merleawe felt her soul being carried somewhere. Elsewhere.  
She felt as if she was traveling on a never-ending bridge: dark, misty, mysterious. So many bodies, so many journeys. She struggled to push on forward. She was searching for someone, but she felt so confused.

Who was it again?  
_A glimpse of a rare smile. Words tinged with sarcasm, but also tenderness, Flaming red hair. Eyes like the forest…_

_The one she loved. _

Of course. She was looking for Fern.

Searching for his presence, she sensed that he was just up ahead on the bridge. She had to get to him before it was too late.

* * *

_He was shuffling forward. That was all that was on his mind. _

_Forward. _

_He had to get to his destination, to that bright light that was just ahead of him. _

_Did he have any regrets? _

_Maybe, but they were unimportant now; nothing mattered anymore, except getting to that point._

_Wait. What was this?_

_A warm, soft hand had grabbed his from behind. He struggled, but the hand held firm. Tugged him backwards._

_ No! He had to go forward. Forwards!  
His assaulter seemed to become frustrated. And then, he felt slim arms envelope him from the back. _

"Fern"_, he felt a warm breath in his ear. He shivered. _

_Inhaling the scent of lilacs and powder, he turned around. _

_And saw her. Her smile, her worried look, her… love?_

_Maybe true love was worth going back for. Back to wherever he had come from._

_He took a deep breath…_

* * *

Merleawe opened her eyes. Had it worked?

Her hands, she noticed, were clenched tightly around his, holding on to him like a lifeline.

He didn't move.

Mel sobbed with anguish.

Suddenly, a burst of inspiration. She remembered reading a certain fairy-tale in which the prince had to kiss his princess in order to lift the curse.

Maybe…? Well, it certainly couldn't hurt to try.

Leaning down slowly, her silvery-violet hair pooling on his chest, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cold, unmoving lips.

She was caught off guard when he began to kiss _back_.

If he wasn't so sore, Fern would have burst out with laughter. She should have seen the look on her face!

Not a bad way to return from the dead though!

His arm lifted up to encircle her body, pulling her down to deepen the kiss. Mel could hear cheers and whoops coming from the Black Knights; they were still there?  
And then she found herself unable to pay attention to her surroundings anymore.

He was alive! And healthy, if the vigor of his kiss was anything to judge by. Panting a little bit, Mel sat back up.

"You're alive!"

"Yeah, I am." He replied with a smirk, teasing her.

It _was_ kind of obvious, no?

Seeing that beloved smirk brought Mel to tears. She dove into his arms, knocking him down with an "oomph!"

"Hey, watch it! I just came back from the dead a few seconds ago!"

"Oh yeah… How did I manage to do that anyways?" She asked.  
Never before had she heard of anyone bringing the dead back to life.

"Well, if I had to make a guess, I'd say it was the body double spell. We are connected by a link, which made it possible for you to follow me."

Mel nodded, understanding dawning on her face. She stood up and then extended her hand to pull him up.

He stumbled a bit, but regained his footing with her help.

Fern sighed. It seemed that he would be needing quite a bit of her help in the near future.

Seeing his discomfort, Merleawe choked back a giggle. Poor Fern would finally have to rely on her more.

Clearing her throat, she said."Let's head back to the castle then."

That's when she saw the awed faces of the Black Knights.

"What is it?" She asked, confused.

One by one, they all started to kneel before her, bowing their heads with reverence.

Of course, Vaith chose that moment to stumble in. "Woah! What happened while I was knocked out?"

The Black Knights rose, and began to murmur among themselves. One stepped forward, and told Vaith what had happened.

Vaith whistled, "So you brought Fern back from the dead eh? Not bad for a day's work."


	14. Chapter 14

With ease, the Black Knights located the Alloro army. Not surprisingly, the Alloro mage that attacked Fern was nowhere to be found.

Under Vaith's command, the Black Knights and Merleawe were able to talk to the Alloro army and both sides agreed to come to a council over what had happened.

It seemed that the Alloro army had been manipulated by the evil mage and that they didn't really want to incite Viegald's wrath. Especially now that Viegald had the support of Caldia and General Lenolora. The two countries set a date for further conference. And at last, Merleawe and Fern were able to head back to the castle.

The journey back was a harrowing experience for both Merleawe and Fern. They were exhausted both physically and mentally, and also injured.

Riding the horse also hurt Merleawe's butt, not that she was going to tell anyone.

Approaching the castle, Merleawe smiled. _We made it Fern_! They could finally rest.

And just in time for Princess Seraphia's birthday ball the next day!

Together, they made their way up the spiral staircase of the castle, and finally, into their joined rooms. Fern flopped onto his bed, taking Merleawe with him with an undignified "Oof!"

He grinned at her disheveled appearance. She had leaves stuck in her tangled hair, and was sweaty from the horse ride home. But she was still radiant. _Mine. _

And then for no reason whatsoever, he heard Merleawe giggle. He frowned down at her, not sure what was so funny, but decided to ignore her weirdness._  
_

He sighed. It had been a long day, and he was bushed. Right when he was about to drift off to sleep, he thought to himself, _I love you Merleawe._

He was unprepared when Merleawe looked up and replied, "Love you too Fern."

Wait, what.

Fern's tired brain struggled to comprehend. He was pretty sure that he hadn't said anything...

After about 30 seconds of thinking, he exclaimed,"You can hear my thoughts!"

Merleawe grinned evilly at him and didn't answer.

She couldn't actually make out what he was thinking, but she could feel what he was feeling. Just then, it had been a sense of fierce possession, and later, the warmest feeling ever. It could only have been love.

But she wasn't going to tell him that she couldn't actually hear what he was thinking. Chuckling to herself, she would leave him guessing.

Fern grumbled a bit, but was too tired to continue to pester her. Intertwined in each others arms, they fell asleep.

* * *

"And then what happened?" the princess asked with wide eyes. Mel laughed.

Seraphia had wanted to know _all_ the details of what had happened in her little escapade. Especially the moments between her and Fern. It was a good thing she had made him wait outside of the room they were currently in. Hopefully he couldn't hear them.

Blushing, Merleawe's mind replayed how they had fallen asleep, and woken up.  
Not a bad way to wake up if she did say so herself. Of course, she wasn't going to tell the princess that they had slept together (in the most innocent sense).

Princess Seraphia had always had a romantic side, and she was overjoyed to hear that Merleawe had finally found love. It was about time too!

She had always sensed a little something between Fern and Merleawe, even back in the day.

The two were getting ready for Seraphia's birthday ball. The princess had decided to make the ball a masquerade, so they were both getting fitted for new dresses.

Flitting around the fabric room, Princess Seraphia already picked out the jewel toned colors of the hummingbird. The rich colors of sapphire, emerald, ruby, and amethyst would look striking against her fair skin and platinum hair.

Merleawe liked the idea of a bird theme, but which bird to choose!

Meandering around the many-hued room of the castle, she picked up fabrics and held them against each other, but none of them caught her interest. Just when she was about to give up and just go as she was, Seraphia glided over and held up a beautiful swathe of pearl colored taffeta.

The cloth shimmered between white, light pink, and lavender. It matched perfectly with Merleawe's coloring. She instantly knew now what she wanted to be.

Merleawe couldn't wait for the ball. Now she just had to force Fern into dressing up too. It was mandatory for him to attend with her, but he didn't _have_ to go in a costume. It was up to her to change his mind.

* * *

Guys! I need your help. Please comment about which type of bird Fern should be.. Lol.. I've thought of costumes for all of them except for him! -_-

And, you can guess what type of bird the rest of the gang will be too if you want~~


	15. Chapter 15 final

Thanks for the suggestions guys.. but I finally decided. (Hehehehh) .Enjoy~~ :)

* * *

After using her puppy dog eyes attack. Merleawe succeeded in getting Fern to wear a costume, although she wasn't allowed to pick for him.  
To make matters worse, he refused to tell her what he was going to be. She would just have to wait and see...

The night of the ball, Merleawe locked the protesting Fern out of her room. She wanted to surprise him with her dress. It had taken awhile for the dressmakers to finish it, even with the help of magic, but the dress was magnificent. She only hoped that she could pull it off! After arranging her hair and applying light makeup, Merleawe was finally satisfied with her appearance.

Now to meet up with Fern, who was rather angry at her for locking him out. _Fern? _

She felt his answering reply in her mind, and unlocked the door separating their conjoined rooms.

_Wow_.

She really hoped he hadn't heard that. But honestly, he was looking rather gorgeous. The first thing she really saw were the colors black, red, and of course, the amazing emerald of his eyes. Eyes that were currently wandering over her body appreciatively also (yay!).

Tilting her head to the side, Merleawe tried to guess at what Fern was supposed to be masquerading as. Black shirt (that hugged his lean physique perfectly), black pants (that hung off his hips deliciously) and black shoes (duh).

He also had long black feathers streaking through his hair, giving him a mysterious look.

Well, that didn't give her much to work with.

It wasn't until he pulled out his mask that Merleawe finally understood.

"Princess Seraphia told me what you were going as," he said, slightly embarrassed.

Merleawe smiled to herself. Fern could be mean sometimes, but inside, he was a romantic. They hadn't told their friends that they were "together," but this would probably clue them in.

* * *

Fern still couldn't really believe his eyes. His master wizard looked beautiful (the second one obviously, although Sylth wasn't an ugly child, that's for sure).

Dressed in iridescent white, Merleawe shone, especially against his all black ensemble. Her heels clicked against the floor as they made their way to the ball room. Her crimson lips stood out starkly against her alabaster skin and dress and her hair was adorned with pearls.

Her dress hugged her slim body in a way that made Fern salivate, although he tried to keep himself under control. Its high-low hem ended with the high part at her mid-thighs and the low part all the way to the floor. Shimmery white gossamer sleeves trailed all the way to the floor too, giving the impression of wings, and of course there were the feathers.

Magicked feathers shone on her dress, glowing an incandescent white-pink that bounced off her staff and back onto her face. Fern wanted to grab her and tug her back into their room, not letting other see her. But of course, he couldn't.

Merleawe took his held out arm, and together, they made their way to the ball room.

* * *

Looking around the room, Merleawe could see most of her friends. They were also bedecked with feathers, mostly because Seraphia forced them to dress up for her party.

Glenn was dressed the peaceful grays of a dove, Vaith in the color-changing blacks of a playful raven, and Yue, looking most annoyed, went as the great gray owl.  
The funny thing was, the second Yue saw General Lenolora, who, along with Princess Fia Luka, was also invited to the birthday ball, he brightened up immediately and started to make a fool of himself. Very out of character if Merleawe did say so herself. Yue _did_ care for Lenolora a lot, it seemed.

The princess herself was fashionably late, even to her own party. But when she did arrive, the first thing she did was compliment Merleawe's breathtaking gown.  
"Aren't you glad I found that fabric for you Merleawe? You look gorgeous!"  
Merleawe had to admit, she did feel beautiful in the dress. It accurately represented her life too.

Growing up, she had been an awkward, unsure ugly duckling. But now, she felt that she had earned the right to be a swan. Glancing over at Fern, she smiled and teasingly replied, "Thanks for telling him what I was going to be Seraphia."

The princess smirked, "Well, I did tell him you were going as a white swan, but I _didn't_ tell him to masquerade as a black one!"  
The two young women giggled as Fern's face blushed tomato red.  
"Fern, your face matches your hair quite well right now!" Vaith said, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation. Fern glared and didn't reply.

Instead, he tugged Merleawe onto the dance floor. She looked at him questioningly, but he smiled back reassuringly.  
_Let me guess, you learned how to dance too in your Hahze classes?_

He nodded and gracefully dodged her foot that was just about to stomp on his. Merleawe wasn't the best dancer in the world, but she tried her best.

Swaying with Fern together felt wonderful. She leaned her head against his chest as the music died down to a slow song.

_I'm really glad you decided to be my body-double.  
_

Fern snorted, "Well, it's not like I really had a choice right?"

Merleawe looked up, "Why not?"  
Grinning down at her, Fern replied, "We promised to be friends remember? Even if the distance separated us."  
Merleawe smiled back at him, "Of course I remember. I just wasn't sure if you did!"  
"Psh! Of course _I _did! I'm a Hahze, we have excellent memories!"  
"Suuurreeee. Then you'd better remember this!" And with that, she stood on her tippy-toes, and gently pressed a kiss to his very soft lips.

Breaking away, she heard a quiet applause begin, mainly from the direction Princess Seraphia was standing. _Whoops. _She had forgotten that they were in the ballroom, and that everyone was watching them. _Oh well_.  
Leaning in for another kiss, the young couple became beet red as the ballroom filled with whooping noises and cheers.

_Well, I guess everyone know we're together now. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Hey Fern, are you hungry? Let's eat!  
_

Fern nodded the affirmative, and together, _always together_, they happily made their way to the food table.

The End

* * *

Thanks for sticking along for the ride! I had a really fun time writing this (sorry I'm so slow lol). And I hope you enjoyed reading it too. Foooodddd...3  
Betcha didn't think the story would end with them getting food right? hehehehh

*Merleawe glares at me: "Way to make us seem like pigs!"  
*Me: ".. ommm.. well, it's my story so HAH"

As and apology... here's a picture I drew... please ignore weird deviantart username.. Dunno what I was thinking when I was creating the account... derrpp

http:/fav. me/d4 bav 5a (with no spaces)

Special thanks to Cha-Cha-Cheesecake for being super supporting. :)

Bye for now... :D


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